1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording/reproducing method and an apparatus therefor and, more particularly, to an image recording/reproducing method which can generate and display a stereoscopic image by processing a plurality of images, and an apparatus therefor.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional methods of taking and recording a stereoscopic image using a plurality of cameras include a method of taking right and left eye images by right and left eye cameras which are separated by a predetermined distance, and symbolizing or coding predicted errors by performing, utilizing one of the right and left eye images which has already been expressed by a normal coding method, similarity evaluation in units of blocks of the other side image (Schupp and Yasuda, 1988 Picture Coding Society of Japan Symposium, 5-1). Simpler methods include a method of synchronously recording the two images on separate tapes or alternately recording the images on a single tape, a method of performing compression-recording of one of right and left eye images by calculating the difference between the right and left eye images (Kishino, Advanced Imaging '92, pp. 77-87), a method of using the difference between one frame and the other frame (to be referred to as an inter-frame difference hereinafter) and the difference between right and left eye images, i.e., a method for calculating inter-frame differences of each of the right and left eye images, performing parallax compensation (a technique for predicting one image from the other image by utilizing the correlation between the right and left eye images) for one image, and coding the difference signals (Izumioka and Watanabe, Singakugihou, IE89-1, pp. 1-7, 1989), and the like.
On the other hand, as a method of obtaining stereoscopic image information by taking a certain scene using a plurality of cameras, and displaying the taken image information as a real image in correspondence with the visual characteristics of man, a so-called binocular parallax method is known. In the both eyes parallax method, the cameras are disposed in consideration of the base length and the convergence angle range of the naked eyes to take images, and the taken images are displayed by giving a proper parallax (lateral shift of images) corresponding to an object distance and shape to the right and left eyes (Kumada, Hosogijitsu, November, pp. 119-125, 1991).